Evaluating the volunteering motivations of young people growing up in the digital age, Positive Psychology Coordinator Asst. Prof. Fatma Turan said: “Young people participate in volunteering activities to answer the question, ‘Who am I and what is my purpose in life in this world?’”
Pointing out that issues such as social inequality, the climate crisis, and human and animal rights create intense emotional sensitivity among young people, Asst. Prof. Fatma Turan stated: “During times of crisis caused by natural disasters, pandemics, wars, and migration occurring in different parts of the world, young people’s desire to ‘be useful’ becomes more visible.”
Üsküdar University Positive Psychology Coordinator and Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology member Asst. Prof. Fatma Turan shared her evaluations on volunteering in the digital age within the scope of December 5, World Volunteers Day.
“Volunteering is sincere effort given from the heart for well-being and doing good”
Drawing attention to the place of volunteering in the positive psychology literature, Asst. Prof. Fatma Turan stated the following: “The concept of volunteering is defined as a person or a group offering their time, knowledge, and effort to society, to a group, or to individuals in need, without any obligation or responsibility and without expecting any material return. Volunteering is sincere effort given from the heart for the purpose of well-being and doing good. Those who carry out this activity are called ‘volunteers.’ It is observed that volunteering increases well-being through the mechanisms of altruism, sense of meaning, social connectedness (relatedness), and self-efficacy. In addition, taking part in social responsibility projects as a volunteer strengthens individuals’ self-worth and self-efficacy, deepens their sense of meaning and purpose, improves emotion regulation skills, and increases positive emotions such as happiness, compassion, gratitude, and belonging.”
Young people volunteer to answer the question: ‘Who am i and what is my purpose in life?’
Evaluating the volunteering motivations of young people growing up in the digital age, Asst. Prof. Fatma Turan used the following expressions: “The intrinsic motivations of young people raised in the digital world regarding volunteering activities can be expressed as the search for meaning and purpose, sensitivity to empathy and justice, and the need to contribute to society. Young people participate in volunteering activities in order to answer the question, ‘Who am I and what is my purpose in life in this world?’ In addition, issues such as social inequality, the climate crisis, and human and animal rights create intense emotional sensitivity among young people. Moreover, during crisis periods caused by natural disasters, pandemics, wars, and migration occurring in different parts of the world, young people’s desire to ‘be useful’ becomes more visible.”
The effect of peer solidarity increases participation in social responsibility projects
Explaining the social motivations of volunteering as belonging, sense of community, and peer influence, Asst. Prof. Fatma Turan said: “Digitally developing communities that support positive development create a social bond that mobilizes young people, and with the effect of peer solidarity, participation in social responsibility projects increases. Young people growing up in the digital world observe that their friends who participate in social responsibility projects develop competencies such as leadership qualities, communication skills, digital content production, and project management in a positive way. Thus, their motivation to take part in volunteering activities increases. In addition, since social responsibility experiences create a significant difference among peers in university and job applications, young people also evaluate this area as career capital.”
Social media also brings the risk of ‘performative volunteering’
Touching on the effect of social media on volunteering, Asst. Prof. Fatma Turan continued: “Social media can increase young people’s volunteering behaviors by lowering the threshold of awareness, providing easy and fast access to action, forming social norms, and presenting strong emotional stimuli. In this way, young people hear about the campaigns they can help much faster and can access actions such as donation links, digital signature campaigns, and online education projects more quickly. Content in the form of videos, short films, and stories also triggers young people’s sense of empathy and increases positive behaviors. However, content on social media also brings the risk of ‘performative volunteering’ (slacktivism). For example, superficial behaviors such as ‘like,’ ‘share,’ and ‘posting stories’ can replace real volunteering, and external motivations such as gaining likes, visibility, and followers can distance volunteering behavior from realism. Some young people who share posts related to social responsibility also stay away from real volunteering in the field with the thought of ‘I have done my duty.’”
Earthquakes and disasters are transforming volunteering
Emphasizing that crises such as earthquakes and disasters transform volunteering movements, Asst. Prof. Fatma Turan said: “Crisis periods both increase and reshape volunteering motivations. During such important times, individuals’ need for social solidarity increases. Disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and fires activate society’s sense of unity, empathy, and responsibility. Since crises create a concrete and urgent need for support, they increase young people’s behavior of ‘rushing to help those in need and being there for them.’” Stating that volunteering behavior becomes more professional during crisis periods, Asst. Prof. Fatma Turan said: “Coordination is established with institutions such as municipalities, AFAD, and non-governmental organizations. Institutional trust gains importance, and young people prefer transparent institutions. Especially young people who experience traumatic events during natural disasters display behaviors aimed at ensuring the sustainability of volunteering and the widespread adoption of social responsibility projects.”
Digital volunteering supports field volunteering
Also stating that digital volunteering supports volunteering in the field, Asst. Prof. Fatma Turan shared the following evaluation: “Digital volunteering cannot replace field volunteering, but it complements and transforms it. We can list the positive effects of digital volunteering at this point as follows. It can contribute to increasing accessibility for young people who cannot leave their homes for any reason, who are students, or who live far away. By providing expertise-based support, it can lead to the emergence of new types of volunteering through contributions such as academic mentoring, translation, and content production. With digital skills such as data analysis, social media management, and campaign design, it can support field teams and strengthen field organization. Thanks to digital campaigns, it becomes possible to reach much wider audiences, and this increases fundraising power.”
Field work requires more intensive effort
Pointing out the effects that should be taken into consideration regarding digital volunteering, Asst. Prof. Fatma Turan concluded her words as follows: “These effects can be listed as follows. In some young people, the perception that online support is sufficient may develop, and as a result, the risk of detachment from the field may arise. The digital environment may not carry the transformative effect of real contact, and this may cause emotional distance. While fieldwork requires more intensive effort, digital content may be more visible. This may reduce the visibility of labor and, as a result, decrease motivation. I would like to emphasize that the way to make the world more beautiful passes through volunteering activities.”